A few days ago, I read a report of the release from detention of some members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafia (MASSOB). An earlier report had also mentioned that this same group organised a goodwill get-together in honour of an Igbo leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. What does it aim to achieve' As this name implies, the leaders and members of MASSOB appear still bent and determined to have a sovereign nation of their own, under the leadership of a man known by the tongue-twisting name of Nwazuruike. MASSOB came into prominence during the regime of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who, in his characteristic manner ignored their agitation as the rancous cacophony of student protesters. In his wisdom, Obasanjo decided to leave the putrid agitation of these MASSOB rabble rousers in the hands of law enforcers.Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra' This sounds quite strange and incognitant! What do the MASSOB and the Igbos that make up the organisation really want to achieve' By their recent outing, the message is that Biafra is still very much alive and the aspirations of its founders still burning.I am a Nigerian of Yoruba extraction and I can remember very vividly that it was the excesses of the Igbos that led to the painful civil war of the early seventies in which hundreds of thousands of lives perished. It is needless to recall here that the Igbos, who ignited the fratricidal conflict suffered the greatest casualty. Apart from the untold hardship brought on their own people by the 'Biafran' leaders, the Igbos suffered a serious psychological trauma at end of the war.While some of them may argue that it was the so-called pogrom carried out against the Igbos in some parts of Northern Nigeria that brought about the civil war, it must be recalled that what preceeded the pogrom was caused by the Igbos themselves. First was the slipshod manner in which the military putsch of January 15, 1966 was carried out, eliminating the Yoruba and Hausa leaders and leaving their Igbo counterparts untouched. An Igbo head of the army, General Aguiyi Ironsi took over the reins of power.A few months into his reign, General Ironsi changed the federal structure of administration and proclaimed a unitary form of government for the country. This did not go down well with other Nigerians, especially the Northerners who saw it as a clever ploy to entrench the Igbos in key positions of governance in all parts of the country, hence the unfortunate bloody counter strike by the Northern elements in July, 1966.From the foregoing, it will be clearly seen that it was the Igbos who precipitated the crisis that eventually led to the 30-month civil war which culminated in the outright humiliation of the Igbos. But General Yakubu Gowon, the then Head of State, as a God-fearing and humble leader described the federal victory as a 'no victor, no vanquished' affair. This declaration, unfair to the federal soldiers who fought a gallant war as it was, was to allow for the easy re-integration of the Igbos into the mainstream Nigerian society.Today, following the embrace of the 'no victor, no vanguished' policy of the Gowon by all Nigerians, the Igbos have once again found themselves in positions of great power and influence, not only in the civil but in military structures as well. I will here mention a few of the very enviable federal position being occupied by the Igbo citizens.First is the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, headed by Anyim Pius Anyim. This position ranks third in power and influence after the President and his vice. Also, easily the most powerful minister in Goodluck Jonathan's cabinet is Dr (Mrs) Ngozi OkonjoIweala who, as Minister of Finance has been given such wide powers that no other minister can look her in the face and not pay dearly for it while the third most powerful legislative personage in the country is Senator Ike Ekweremadu, also of Igbo extraction.Lt-General Ihejirika is the Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, while Osita Chidoka, as the boss of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) is in charge of the country's road traffic security. All these are Igbos. Similarly, the National Youth Service Corps and the Nigerian Immigration Service, just to mention a few also have officers of Igbo extraction as their chief executives.Now the question that is on the lips of other Nigerians is: What else do the Igbo want' With such powers, influence and juicy jobs in their kitty, what more do these people want to show that they have been fully integrated into the mainstream of the Nigerian society' What more sacrifices do the Igbos want their other compatriots to offer before they can accept being part of Nigeria'With the 'no victor, no vanguished' declaration by General Gowon after the civil war, the general amnesty granted the 'Biafran' rebels and the juicy portfolios which the Igbos have been managing since they returned to the Nigerian fold, the least one expects from our brothers across the Niger is nothing but absolute loyalty and renewed dedication to the Nigerian project. Their fellow citizens in other parts of the country deserve nothing less.However, if MASSOB is acting alone and does not necessarily enjoy the support of the Ohaneze or any other prominent Igbo groups or leaders, they should come out openly and denounce the activities of these enemies of the Nigerian people. Igbos today are enjoying more than their fair share of the national cake and unless they want the whole cake for themselves, the Ohaneze Ndigbo should denounce the activities of MASSOB and declare it a lawless group of miscreants aiming to set the Igbos on a collision course against their Nigerian compatriots.olorode, a veteran journalist, writes from Ibadan.
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